Negligent

Basically describing our relationship with this blog at this point.  It's been since JULY?!?!  The things that have happened and are happening without parental observation and due recording!  Life is every bit as busy as it was 4 months ago, but radically different with the changes the kids are going through.  I'll keep everyone updated as much as I can recall.

First Mr Everett.  He now has his first Audrey assigned nickname- "Everettie".  It's now been adopted by Jen and I because we LOVE how endearing and cute it is.  How is it that our family names end up with nicknames that are longer than the original name?  Audramatic, Everettie, Jen Jefferson Hot Mommy...  Everett's personality has blossomed in so many ways.  He's now got a "silly dance" when we clap or he hears the right music, he remains fascinated with everything and anything electronic (turning on our Roomba vacuum, regularly using our hand-vac, trying to plug in any cord into the wall, pushing buttons on the new dryer, room heater so that they chirp over and over and over again).  Not sure if Jen is more amused by the new dryer or the Everattor.  The words are quite sporadic at this point (which is typical of a 2nd child), but the choice of the words are quite redeeming.  "Dada" is a regular; "night-night", "bubbye" are other regulars, "Audrey" is less common, but has snuck in from time to time.  His sleep habits are improving.  I take great amusement (and a smidge of frustration) that I can counsel my parents at the clinic as to how to get their kids to sleep through the night, yet Everett refuses to.  Right now 4:45 or 5AM wake up times are a regular occurrence.  He is beyond tearful when he wakes up- screaming at the top of his lungs looking for any parent.  Even with his door and our door closed, he is easy to hear (and by the way, this is an improvement from waking up regularly 3 times a night at 10, 12:30 and 3).  It's amazing that Audrey can sleep through any of it.  Curiously enough, she has been regularly waking up at 5:15 to pitter patter down the hall and declare that her bed is too cold.  We would happily accommodate a snuggle request, if she would actually fall asleep instead of tossing, turning, and trying to engage in further conversation once she arrived into bed.  So instead she uses the potty and is redirected into bed before her formal 6AM wake up time. 

But without getting too distracted by child number 1 stories, number 2 is very gross/fine motor gifted child (to make up for the lack of a chatty side).  Pushes any broom all over the house, garage, driveway.  He has been climbing up our backyard slide, standing at the top, then re-sitting and sliding down since 11 months or so.  Audrey managed the same feat at the age of 2?  Egad!  Audrey has been working on soccer dribbling with 3 to 5 year olds during fall practice (often getting distracted by one of her female teammates, holding hands, and ignoring the soccer ball altogether) and Everett has managed to accomplish this all on his own in the front yard without instruction.  Wednesdays with Dad usually include some kind of garage exploration.  He is not quite at the point of using the 3-wheeler or trike yet, but finds a stick, or a piece of garden hose, or (yet another) broom to push around and is as happy as a clam.  Both he and Audrey love to explore the neighbors basketball hoop and climb it like a jungle gym.  He's going to LOVE spending time on Macy and Kai's jungle gym next summer (more neighbors).  He is constantly enamored by a few select items around the house- inside and out.  LOVES spatulas, the cat, Roomba, the cat next door, a squirt gun of neighbor Chase, HIS PUSH MOWER, buttons that make noise, any computer keyboard- you should see him go to town on the library keyboards when we explore.

Nap times are still at 8ish and 12:30, but he is slowly working out of his AM nap.  The 12:30 nap nicely correlates with Audrey's nap time and either affords the parent in charge a well deserved rest, nap, or extra project time on house fixit item du jour (of the day for those non-french).
Everett is a bit whinier than Audrey but also a big love.  He gives MARVELOUS hugs and open-mouthed kisses (watch out ladies!).  Each month of the last six, he has become more affectionate and more funny than the last.  The whiny side comes out when he is not being held, when he's hungry, when he's tired and when he's not being held (yes, I purposely mentioned that one twice).  He LOVES his mama.  YOU (yes I'm point to you) are downright chopped liver if Mom walks in the room.  Just accept it. 

Everett LOVES his sister (and Audrey LOVES the attention)- which works out quite nicely.  They have just started playing more together, which is both fun to watch and provides brief parental breathers.  Once the two of them get laughing and chasing, it's pretty fun to watch.  It's surprising that there isn't a path already burned into the carpet from the number of circles they do around the 1st floor loop. Sharing between the two of them has slowly improved.  Audrey will rarely push, hit, and run off with something, but "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" has helped curb some of that 4 year old instinct.  Jen and I referee a little from time to time.  Most of their interactions are pretty positive overall, which is fun to watch.  Everett also loves his cousin George... it's not quite clear if George appreciates this affection though.  Not every child probably appreciates open mouthed kisses and tackling hugs, which I can fully understand.  Most of the time, the two of them are drawn to the same toys and play quite well.  It will be more than just a little fun to see the two of them play together.  By the way, if you're looking for the next baby Einstein, look no further than my nephew George! 

Ok, now for the Audramatic.  Could she be any more different than my Everett?  Don't think so.  Verbal, emotional (well, Ever does have his whiny moments), full of surprises all of the time, and breaks into song just about anywhere.  Disney songs are a favorite: Little Mermaid, Beauty and Beast, Cinderella are probably the top 3.  The biggest difference between the two is Audrey's verbal prowess and Everett's motor.  It's not fair to compare the two, but how can you not??  Everett is SUCH a boy- grunting most of the time instead of using words and chasing down his big sister with those skinny little legs.  He was walking at almost a year of age.  I still remember trying to push up on Audrey's tummy to just get her on all fours.  At 12 months, Everett was climbing our backyard slide, standing up at the top, and fearlessly went down.  Did Audrey go down before the age of two?  I don't think so (but I'm sure my wife will correct this information in a quick and efficient way).  On the flipside, Audrey is never at a loss for words.  She was explaining that a "meat and a potatoes diet" had a lot of protein in it this morning actually.  For her birthday in September we asked her to make a wish before blowing out the candles and instead she said some version of "I'd like to thank my friends and family for being here".   More a toast than a wish, but at the age of 4, I think the crowd present was willing to give her a little wiggle room. 

Lots of milestones for a 3 year old going on now a whopping 4 YEARS OLD.  In August she caught her first fish with her proud papa nearby.  It was beyond humorous.  I would snag the fish, she would reel them in (taking a surprising amount of exertion to get 1/2 pound sunnies into the boat).  Once the fish would be dangling over the side of the boat, Audrey would high-tail it to the other side, leaping off my lap and trying to do everything to get away from the fish itself.  This process repeated itself at least 7 or 8 times.  She had no interest whatsoever to touch or hold the fishing line for a picture with her upcoming dinner.  Given her love of Disney's Little Mermaid, I wasn't sure if prepping the fish for dinner would be traumatic for her or not.  I don't ever remember my Dad having a 10 minute therapy session prior to a little bit of blood n guts.  I went to the person who I identify closest to a child therapist...and Uncle Andy said that we should just let her watch the fillet process from start to finish.  Impressively enough, Audrey watched...then quickly got a toy tool saw nearby to participate in the festivities. 

Audrey has started her pre-school and it has gone pretty well overall.  Her reports of the day's activities are always quite parse.  You would think that a girl who asks her parents to read "a brilliant book" would have oodles of stories of what happened with a whole entourage of kids.  But it's rare when we hear a full story of any one specific activity.  She seems happy enough, so I don't think that she sits in a broom closet all day.  No stories of any knife-fights on the playground either...another bonus.  The one thing that stands out is Audrey's difficulties with writing letters and tracing shapes.  We're working on that at home now a little.  The closest to early homework I suppose.  In the end, all she needs to know is how to type on her computer, right??? 

Now a solid 4 years of age, we are working on little chores.  She has been setting the table since 3, but now is much more capable and tracking down different lost items when Jen and I need a hand.  She can clean a room- and usually one of the classic jobs is one room per day.  The constant battle is the number of toys in the family room and number of library books in the bedroom.  Another big part of being 4 is using the potty on your own!  I think this might be a bigger deal for parents than for child itself.  A parent's dream = a child who sits on the big (adult) potty without needing reminders and then is able to wipe herself and then wash her hands.  This is an experience no short of miraculous.  Downright miraculous. 

The next little tidbit is going to show a little too much of the "maleness" of my character; Jen describes it as French parenting.  But I'm going to share my feelings none-the-less.  As much as I love playing with my kids while they are small.  I also really LOVE (love) the fact that they can now play together.  There is a point in time during the day where I (nor any testosterone toting individual) can no longer pretend to be Prince Eric, the Beast, or whatever other character is available to my child's imagination.  And at that moment, I truly appreciate the fact that Everett and Audrey can play side by side, occasionally share, and hopefully just not beat each other up too badly.  Audrey will regularly have a case of the "mines".  But every day the sharing improves.  They are truly tolerant of their father's need to be out in the garage.  You would be impressed by the number of creative games they play finding the most random of objects.  Everett is obsessed with anything that he can slide across the floor or ground.  There is a small flag that attaches to our bike trailer, a small segment of hose, and then pretty much any broom or shovel will do as well. Audrey really has come into her own by using the bike.  Originally a source of many tears, she jumps on that bike with no fear.  Can't wait to take the trainers off next summer (hopefully).  She also goes to the bin of random wood pieces and makes forts and rivers and a variety of other issues.  I proudly can tell you that she knows the difference between a Phillips and Regular screwdriver...  I might add that Jen is still working on that knowledge base.  I love you hunny!  :-)
It's been wonderful to have close by friend Chase to expand her creativity.  When things are getting a bit dull, the two of them quickly find things to do.  And where the dynamic duo roams, the Everator follows.  We are very lucky to have a good friend next door.  Macy and Kai are a couple doors down, but they are not outdoors all that often.  On the few occasions that Audrey wanted to play with them, she parked herself in front of their television...  One of the kids asked me if we let Audrey watch a lot of TV, since she had sat entranced for a full hour- not playing with her friends, but watching cartoons.  We've mainly stuck to outside play since then... mainly just because we don't want her ignoring (and using) her friends to watch more television. 

Ok... I think that I feel better having expounded a bit on the recent few months of activity.  There will be more to follow in the near future.  After all, I have a new job (now a month into it actually) and there are always home projects to complain about and trips happening as well.  In case you didn't hear, Jen is 28 years old this year (29 minus 1).  She will continue to move backwards in age for the foreseeable future.  Please congratulate her for me though.  Much love you all!  Love, Ryan, Jen, Auds, Everett